Supporting device for folding cots.



H. EGKERSON. SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR FOLDING COTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 23.1904.

wwmsasca \NVENTOR o d 6 m WW wa s PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905.

Patented June 27, 1905 NITED STATES ATENT Fries,

HOMER EUEERSON, OF MEUl'lANIUSVILLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOE TO EGlx'ERSON BEDDING (l()i\llANY. ()F MECIIANIUSYILLE, NElY YORK. A (.UlilORA'llON OF NElY YORK.

SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR FOLDING COTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,360, dated June 2 7, 1905.

Application filed March 23, 1904:. Serial No. 199,555.

Be it known that 1, House Eokunsox, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Mechanicsville, Saratoga county, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Suppm'ting Devices for Folding Cots, of which the following is a specification. I

bl) invention relates to devices for supporting the hinged side portion of a cot-bed; and the object of my invention is to provide a bracket adapted to be attached to and support the free side of a hinged extension to a cot-bed so arranged that it will he readily locked when the extension of the bed is raised and support said extension positively in its raised position and so constructed that by lifting the extension above the horizontal the bracket will be unlocked and the extension returned to its position at the side of the bed without further manipulation of the bracket or its connections. l attain this object by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a front elevation.

manner of locking the bracket. Fig. -t is a detail view of the plate containing the slot-ted opening through which the supporting-arm 5 passes. Fig. 5 is a detail front elevation, partly broken away, showing the locking device. Fig. 6 is a detail side elevation of the enlargeiil end S of the supporting-arm S.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

ln the construction of cot-beds it is often advisable to arrange on one or both sides of the cot a portion which may be folded down when the cot is unoccupied and raised when the bed is to be made thereon, and it is desirable to provide means forsupporting said extension, which shall be readily adjustable, require no careful attention, and which maybe quickly restored to such position as to allow for the folded-down position of the extension portion. This for the reason that the cots Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation with parts broken away, showing the are made up into bed by inexperienced chambermaids and must be so constructed and adj justed that no attention requiring the least bit of mechanical knowledge should be necessary. To accomplish this result, I have provided a supportingbracket which will lock automatically when the extension of the cot attached thereto is raised without the operator louching the bracket at all.

The sup anting-plate A. is secured to one of the legs of a cot (not shown) in any suitable manner and has attached thereto or made integral therewith a plate 1%, preferably arranged at right angles to the plate A and provided with a slotted opening U. Also attached to the leg at its upper end or the frame of the cot (not shown) is a horizontally-located plate I), which is secured to the plate A, as at I), and to which plate E is arranged to articulate on the pivot 12. Plate E is soeured to the end of the folded extension portion of the cot-frame. (Not shown.) As thus arranged the folded extension portion of the cot-frame will when not in use occupy the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

For the purpose of supporting the plate E, and therefore the extension of the cot, in a horizontal position I secure the preferably curved summrting-arm S at one end to the plate E, as at f, such supporting-arm S of such length and construction as to reciprocate in the slotted opening U in the plate I). The end S of the supporting-arm S farthest from the plate .E is preferably enlarged, as shown in Fig. 6, and provided near said enlarged portion with an indent F, adapted to engage with the lower wall of the slot U in the plate B when the plate E is raised to the horizontal position, (shown by full lines in Fig. 1,) the arm S being curved to such a degree that when the plate E is raised to a horizontal position gravity will cause the end of the arm S to force the end of the arm containing the indent upon the portion of the plate B at the lower part of the slotted opening C, the shoulder forming one side of the indent resting against the side of the plate B and preventing the arm S from falling or passing through the slotted opening C.

Attached to the frame A and immediately in front of the slotted opening C, I arrange a guide-wire G for the end S of the supportingarm S, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. The guidewire Gr is preferably bent at or about mid way between its ends to provide two enlarged openings between the guide-wire and the plate A, said openings contracted at or about midway between their ends by the bending of said wire G to project toward the plate A, as shown at g. The lower end of the wire G may be secured in a plate H, fastened to the plate B, by means of rivet it and brace H or any suitable manner. As thus arranged, when the plate E is raised above the horizontal, (shown by dash-lines in Fig. 1,) the arm S is raised to the position shown by the dash-lines in Fig. 1.

The enlarged end S of the arm S is raised, and pressing against the projecting part g of the guide-wire Gr causes it to give way and allow the end S to rise above the projecting portion g, and thus release the supporting-arm S, because the indent is raised out of contact with the plate B, and as the plate E is lowered the projecting portion 9 of the guide-wire G will hold the end S of the supporting-arm until the enlarged portion thereof has passed beyond said guide-spring, when the arm will fall, the lower edge thereof coming in contact with the lower edge of the slotted opening C and plate E will occupy the vertical position Shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a supporting device for a folding'cot; a fold-over portion; a plate secured thereto; a curved supporting-arm attached at one end to said plate and provided with an indent near the other end thereof; an enlargement on the loose end of said curved supporting-arm; a-

slotted upright plate through which said arm reciprocates, with the wall of which, said indent may engage; a guide and retaining device for the loose end of said arm, consisting of a wire bent at about midway between its ends, forming two enlarged openings between the wire and said slotted plate; a plate to which the lower end of said wire is secured; all so arranged and connected up that the loose end of said curved arm, when the fold-over portion of said cot is in a horizontal position, will be secured, the indent thereon engaging with the wall of the plate, and when the fold-over portion of the cot is raised above the horizontal the indent will be removed from contact with said wall and the enlarged portion on the end of said curved arm will be held by said guide-wire in such a position that the indent will not take with the wall, all substantially as described.

Signed at Mechanicsville, New York, this 5th day of March, 1904.

HOMER ECKERSON. WVitnesses:

H. F. CLARK, WM. L. HOWLAND. 

